The low availability of seed treatment products makes it even more vulnerable when the biological targets for which they are intended are identified, says a statement from a study released by Abrasem (Brazilian Association of Seeds and Seedlings), to which Agropages Portal has gained first-hand access.

The agency conducted a survey identifying "critical biological targets" for some crops of interest. Both, the choice of crops and the targets were based on a survey of seed producers, farmers, researchers and scientific publications on the subject.

According to Abrasem, "biological targets have been identified that have one or more of the following characteristics:

1) Ease of proliferation and incidence in agricultural crops of interest;

2) Significant economic impact, such as production losses and export restrictions;

3) Where control is necessary throughout the crop cycle;

4) Biological targets that pose risks to human and animal health (for example, the risks caused by fumonisins for poultry and swine);

5) For which seed treatment is an important tool;

6) Restricted supply that makes it impossible to manage resistance or any offer of phytosanitary products to control the critical biological target for seed treatment.

"The targets and cultures, identified with such characteristics are the fusarium for corn seed treatment; Sclerotinia sclerotiorum for treatment of papaya, melon and watermelon seeds and Phakopsora pachyrhizi for treatment of soybean seeds, " the Abrasem research stated.

"For all of these biological targets/crops, we identify phytosanitary products for seed treatment waiting in the queue for analysis, some of which have been filed since 2014, with only the prioritization of toxicological, environmental and efficacy analysis to be immediately available for agriculture," lamented the study of the entity.

According to Abrasem, the instability in the availability of phytosanitary products for seed treatment represents a risk for the adequate phytosanitary control and causes adjustments to correct this dysfunction, under the impossibility of practicing product rotation and the correct resistance management of pests and diseases. "The availability of products for seed treatment is strategic, because it is a technology that is easy to implement, low cost and low impact on the environment and health, besides presenting the various benefits shown," the research added.

"Although Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Phakopsora pachyrhizi were prioritized in other years for registration by the Ministry of Agriculture, there are no products for the treatment of seeds (which closes the pest control cycle) for the papaya, melon and watermelon (Sclerotinia) and soybean (Phakopsora). For the biological fusarium target in corn, even if it has registered products, these are insufficient for the adequate management of resistance," the research said in conclusion.